How seniors are setting the tone for Purdue basketball with championship expectations
WEST LAFAYETTE — When 7-foot-4 Daniel Jacobsen, returning after a lost freshman season due to a fractured tibia, dove head-first for a loose ball at Purdue basketball's first summer practice, it wasn't a cause for concern.
It was an expectation.
"Right now you're playing for a spot, you're playing for minutes to help this team win," senior guard Fletcher Loyer said. "If you're not diving on the ball, you're not going to play. So either you do it or sit over there and listen."
Welcome to Boiler ball.
Two seasons ago, the bar was raised with a national championship game loss. Last season, that bar wasn't met after a heartbreaking last-second loss to eventual NCAA runner-up Houston in the Sweet 16.
In the offseason, the Boilermakers lost key pieces from the past two seasons and added more in hopes of clearing the final hurdle in April 2026.
Coach Matt Painter and staff went all in on the offseason.
Camden Heide transferred to Texas and Myles Colvin to Wake Forest. Brian Waddell departed, going to Bellarmine and Will Berg left for Wichita State.
Insider: Transfer sharpshooter has title goals with Purdue, and to represent his borough
Purdue addressed its biggest shortcomings of a year ago, rebounding and rim protection, in the addition of Oscar Cluff from South Dakota State and the return of Jacobsen from injury.
Already with Antione West Jr. signed, Purdue also snagged Israeli point guard Omer Mayer as an added luxury and gets Jack Benter's production after he redshirted last year. If that isn't enough firepower, Liam Murphy, who shot 43.3% from 3 at North Florida last season, also transferred to Purdue.
The Boilermakers are viewed as a top-5 team by most who post an early top 25 projections.
Perhaps Purdue's greatest strength is its seniority. Last year's Big Ten Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Award winner Braden Smith joins Loyer and first-team All-Big Ten selection Trey Kaufman-Renn on a star-studded senior class that now includes Cluff and Murphy.
"We're obviously very excited to see what they can bring and go from there," Smith said.
The roster appears to have no weak spots, but winning requires more than talent. Purdue returns six players who started at least one game for it last season.
"That's what it feels like on paper," Kaufman-Renn said. "Obviously you've got to get everybody together and see what it looks like practically as a team. That's the biggest process is getting guys here, not as far as just playing, but just gelling with all the new guys.
"I think if that happens, like, I don't see why we're not the best team in the country."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ohio State softball 2026 conference schedule unveiled
It was an overachieving year for the Ohio State softball team this past season. Despite losing a lot of key players, new head coach Kirin Kumar was able to lead the team to an offensive explosion in which the Buckeyes led the country in home runs, runs scored, and a few other categories. OSU ended up tying for third place in the Big Ten and found its way into the NCAA Tournament. Now, the trick will be to continue that momentum and continue the climb in the Big Ten and nationally. To do it, Ohio State will have to navigate a Big Ten schedule that now includes West Coast power teams like UCLA and Oregon. Advertisement This past week, the Big Ten unveiled the conference schedule for the 2026 softball season, so we got a look at who the Buckeyes will play next season and where they will do it. Ohio State will host four home series in the conference and hit the road for four others. Here's how it'll all look next season. Ohio State 2026 Big Ten Softball Schedule March 6-8, 2026: Iowa (Columbus, Ohio)March 13-15, 2026: at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.)March 27-29, 2026: Michigan State (Columbus, Ohio)April 3-5, 2026: at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.)April 10-12, 2026: at Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.)April 17-19, 2026: Penn State (Columbus, Ohio)April 24-26, 2026: at Oregon (Eugene, Ore.)May 1-3, 2026: Washington (Columbus, Ohio) It's still a long time before we see any of these games, but it's nice to see how everything will look next year. The nonconference schedule will be released at a later day. Advertisement Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X. This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State softball unveils its 2026 Big Ten schedule
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Ohio State softball 2026 conference schedule unveiled
Looking forward to 𝐁𝟏𝐆 things in 2026.@OhioStAthletics | #GoBucks It was an overachieving year for the Ohio State softball team this past season. Despite losing a lot of key players, new head coach Kirin Kumar was able to lead the team to an offensive explosion in which the Buckeyes led the country in home runs, runs scored, and a few other categories. OSU ended up tying for third place in the Big Ten and found its way into the NCAA Tournament. Now, the trick will be to continue that momentum and continue the climb in the Big Ten and nationally. To do it, Ohio State will have to navigate a Big Ten schedule that now includes West Coast power teams like UCLA and Oregon. This past week, the Big Ten unveiled the conference schedule for the 2026 softball season, so we got a look at who the Buckeyes will play next season and where they will do it. Ohio State will host four home series in the conference and hit the road for four others. Here's how it'll all look next season. Ohio State 2026 Big Ten Softball Schedule March 6-8, 2026: Iowa (Columbus, Ohio)March 13-15, 2026: at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.)March 27-29, 2026: Michigan State (Columbus, Ohio)April 3-5, 2026: at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.)April 10-12, 2026: at Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.)April 17-19, 2026: Penn State (Columbus, Ohio)April 24-26, 2026: at Oregon (Eugene, Ore.)May 1-3, 2026: Washington (Columbus, Ohio) It's still a long time before we see any of these games, but it's nice to see how everything will look next year. The nonconference schedule will be released at a later day. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Mets' success continues to hinge on Francisco Lindor as star breaks out of slump
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free PHILADELPHIA — It is just about inarguable at this point. As Francisco Lindor goes, so go the Mets. Advertisement During the seven-game losing streak, the reliable and likely All-Star shortstop went 3-for-26, including entering play Saturday in an 0-for-18 slump. That skid was gone by Saturday's third inning, when Lindor jumped on what would be the first of three consecutive Mets home runs. After an 11-4 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park was secured, that home run meant the Mets have won the past 28 games in which Lindor has homered, just one shy of the all-time MLB record established by Carl Furillo from 1951-53. Francisco Lindor hits a two-run double during the Mets-Phillies game on June 21, 2025. Jason Szenes / New York Post Advertisement The equation might be as simple as this: When Lindor is playing well, the Mets win. And so the Mets won and Lindor played well, brushing aside concerns about his broken pinkie toe and lugging the team on his back once more. Lindor finished 2-for-5 with one of the Mets' seven home runs, a double and three RBIs, most importantly jump-starting the Mets' comeback in the third. Advertisement Francisco Lindor celebrates during the Mets-Phillies game on June 21, 2025. Jason Szenes / New York Post Down 3-1 entering the frame — an early hole the team had become accustomed to during the tailspin — Lindor stepped into a full-count four-seamer from righty Mick Abel and crushed it to the deepest part of Citizens Bank Park, 406 feet to left-center. Following their leader, Brandon Nimmo and Juan Soto then added blasts of their own to become the first Mets to go back-to-back-to-back since Nimmo, Lindor and Jeff McNeil did it in 2022. His damage done from the left side of the plate, Lindor turned around against lefty Tanner Banks in the sixth. Advertisement CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS With the Mets clinging to a one-run edge and two on base, Lindor snuck a double off the wall in the right-field corner, scoring two to put the Mets ahead, 7-4, and perhaps allow his team to breathe again. Lindor did not play like an athlete who broke his right pinkie toe just two and a half weeks ago and missed only one game as a result. There has been wonder about whether the Mets would be better off giving their everyday shortstop a day or two to allow that toe to heal. As he continues to play an excellent shortstop and his bat once again looks strong, Lindor reminded why he is so difficult to pluck out of the lineup.
